Festivals Kelowna Team,
My name is Aaron Mou, and I am a multi-disciplinary artist living and working on the unceded, traditional territory of the Syilx Okanagan people. I’m writing to you today with immense excitement to propose an artistic concept for the Pianos in Parks program.
Having seen and played the pianos over the years, I’ve admired their contribution to Kelowna’s vibrancy. I’m particularly drawn to this opportunity as I feel my current artistic practice fits wonderfully . As an artist with over 20 years of experience creating public-facing work and an education from the George Brown School of Art & Design, I am passionate about exploring the intersection of art, technology, and community experience.
My background spans large-scale aerosol murals, music production, new media, street art, traditional wood burning, acrylic portraiture, digital design, and my current focus: multimedia augmented reality experiences. The Pianos in Parks program resonates deeply with me as a chance to contribute a truly unique and interactive piece to our community.
My proposed concept is titled “A Fractal Escape.” This vision aims to transform a piano into a vibrant, futuristic graffiti fractal universe. It moves beyond surface decoration to weave personal memories of Okanagan places, past and present, into a dynamic, geometric fractal design using street art aesthetics. This approach also seeks to positively reframe public perception of graffiti, showcasing its potential as intricate, meaningful art, far removed from simple tagging many see around town. The design will incorporate messages and elements symbolizing world peace and unity.
Visually, the piano will be a burst of colourful energy. Inlaid with abstract images that provide liminal feelings of places once dreamt. I plan to use high-quality aerosol paints featuring vibrant neon hues and a variety of paint markers and paint applications. Adding unique texture and depth, I will also incorporate elements of traditional wood burning into the design if allowed to mark the piano in that way.
Crucially, “A Fractal Escape” is designed for interaction and this is what excites me the most :
- Musical Guidance: Hidden within the fractal patterns on the piano body will be colour-coordinated chord patterns visually aligned with painted keys. They will be bold enough to be noticed but will meld into the design. This creates a visual puzzle and invites participation to explore and dive deeper, allowing even novice players to easily create melodies and simple chords. Each of the chords will be colour coded in a clear way that will be further explained in my third point.
- Augmented Reality: A prominent QR code painted on all sides will unlock an immersive AR experience directly through a cell phone’s web browser using Adobe Software: What makes this experiance seamless is that there is no app download required and is compatible with both iOS and Android. Upon scanning, the phones camera will open and a scene of colour, movement and sound will envelop the piano and surrounding environment. When the person walks around the virtual scene into the different coloured zones, digital sculpture will animate; moving and reacting with sound. Users will have the ability to record the sound and visuals with on screen instruction. A basic proof of concept showcasing an interactive soundscape of 4 chords being played by the viewer can be seen here – https://youtu.be/v_TSnWFzQEk
- Hidden Musical Cohesion: For a deeper final cohesive element. The augmented reality art will be clearly designed with the same colours of the painted piano chords. The augmented reality user will be able to change the virtual musical coming from their phone by moving around the scene. If both the piano player plays the same coloured keys and the AR user is in the correct corresponding coloured spot. This will unlock a unique audio-visual performance, perhaps featuring a digital garden of flowers blooming around the player, enhancing the musical metaphor.
Below is a preliminary concept visualization to illustrate the intended aesthetic direction and visual impact. Please note that this is an initial representation; the final design will be further developed for enhanced cohesion and seamless integration with the piano’s structure. The unique textural qualities of aerosol application, such as granular layering, are difficult to fully capture in this digital format.
I am confident in delivering a high-quality, detailed piece. My decades of experience, familiarity with virtual reality rehearsals for complex projects, and the efficient nature of aerosol art allow for rapid execution of large-scale work. While the AR development requires careful work, my experience makes me confident in achieving a polished result by the end of May deadline. I anticipate painting the piano: 2-3 days and the AR design and Music: 1-2 weeks. Fully taking approximately 2/3 weeks development.
You can view my portfolio, including examples of my large-scale murals, wood burning, and digital/AR projects, here:
https://aaronmou.com/pianos-in-the-park/ I have tailored this selection of work to align with the specific focus and objectives of this proposal.
https://www.instagram.com/okanagan_settler/ is my contemporary street art featuring AR work. All AR examples are brainstormed, designed and finished in 1 day.
https://www.instagram.com/huskiehiker/ Is my personal social media. Many of the photos here will be inspiration for small paintings within the fractal sectors
Thank you for considering my proposal for the Pianos in Parks program. I am passionate about creating impactful public art for Kelowna and believe A Fractal Escape would offer residents and visitors a beautiful, engaging, and truly unforgettable artistic experience. I am eager to discuss this project further at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Aaron Mou
778-700-7680
aaronmouart@gmail.com
aaronmou.com
Aaron Mou 